Apathy and lack of ferver in season 2014?

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
21

I get excited and look forward to each game. I mainly watch on TV so its already compromised by not being able to see all the ground. Then the game starts and I shake my head.

 

We are playing an incredibly boring brand of football. The players look completely disinterested, sort of like those people who go to work everyday because they have to earn a living but don't really give a s**t about their job.

The commentary has to be heard to be believed. If there is nothing to say you can bet your bottom dollar someone will find something inane to say.  Commentators rarely comment on inconsistent or contentious decisions, so even that is boring.

Even if we were playing an exciting brand of football the rule interpretations mean that the game would still be frustrating as there are too many ball up (or should that balls ups) no reward for tackling, dropping the ball no longer exists, hands in the back, what can I say.

And that's without all the issues of going to a game including ticket prices, food costs, scheduling etc.

 

I used to love cricket, particularly test matches, but after all the bribe allegations and the Hanse Cronje stuff I went right off cricket and didn't watch it all and that is for probably 15 years or more. I have only just recently started watching test cricket again because I was so turned off by it.

 

That's what I fear will happen to my love of football. I no longer really enjoy the game. Its no longer the hard tough, uncompromising, high scoring, high marking spectacular contest that is was only a few years ago.  The smart strategic tactics have also gone, the long kick to the boundary (Fletch was a master at it) the rushed behind, the knock it out of bounds to force a throw in. All gone in the push to speed up the game for television. And what have we ended up with?  A giant game of keeping's off. A sort of British Bulldog for those of you old enough to remember.

 

And if this ASADA stuff continues much longer, or wipes out our team then I will probably turn off and may never come back.  I hate the AFL for what they have done to the game in the ever increasing search for the dollar, the players too to a certain extent, they haven't helped with their increasing desire for an increasing % of the take, driving up costs.

I hate the AFL for their desire to protect their brand and therefore our players at the risk of our club. And I really dislike EFC admin and board, not for allowing supplements, they should be applauded for that, but the way in which they sacrificed our good name, allowed our brand to be trashed, and stood there for twelve months and said nothing.

And then when Tania Hird had the guts to stand up to people they trashed her too and talked of moving on. Well guess what, we cant move on, the media, the AFL, ASADA and everyone else wont let us move on.

 

Am I enjoying this season? Meh

22

I still love Essendon but am a bit “meh” about football in general.
And honestly I blame it all on the ASADA stuff and being so disillusioned with the footy media and the AFL management
I have Foxtel and used to watch every episode of AFL360 and On the couch as well as Footy Classified and various other football talk shows. I also used to listen to footy talk on the radio. I used to watch all but a couple of games each week - even so far as watching 1 game on a Saturday night and recording the other game and watching it straight after. Now I only see snippets of the football talk shows and don’t really bother with the radio. I watch our games and maybe 1 or 2 other games per weekend.
I used to love footy tipping. It’s a bit ho-hum this year.
Even SuperCoach has lost its shine this year.
I hardly talk to my mates about footy stuff these day and there is definitely less footy chat at work.

23

I think there are a lot of factors at play.

 

At an EFC level there's the hangover from last year. We were removed from playing finals so that makes it hard to get emotionally invested again.

 

Also I don't really like talking about footy anymore, because of the inevitable "drug-cheat" comments, whether in jest or not.

 

Then there's the win/loss factor. Maybe it was just more enjoyable when we were in the upper echelons of the ladder? Maybe I'm already bracing myself for an ordinary season where we don't make the finals. Let's face it, we are only in the eight because we've played an extra game than most teams. Beating the swans is unlikely on form, and if we lose to the tigers then we've probably left our run too late.

 

Our games have been pretty ordinary too, Norf and the sCum games were okay, and the Hawks game would have been okay if we'd have won, but the rest have been rubbish, so aren't worth replaying. Last year I would re-watch our games all season they were so good. Now I'd be interested maybe in 1qtr every 3 weeks.

 

 

Also I REALLY hate the AFL, so my interest in non-EFC matches is at an all time low. Unless it's top 4 teams playing each other I just couldn't care less who wins.

 

The rules suck.

 

The umpires suck.

 

The MRP/Tribunal sucks. Completely corrupt and media driven.

 

Etihad sucks. It SHOULD be awesome but it just doesn't have a soul, especially when the roof is closed. Needs to be a sell out or it just feels like you're watching local indoor soccer.

 

Prices suck. Getting to games is expensive, even by PT. Reserving seats is expensive. Beer is expensive. I don't buy food there with good reason. Getting some loose change from a lobster after buying 2 light beers is gouging at it's best.

 

Run out of likes.

 

Good post.

 

I don't watch any other games apart from Essendon now, haven't since August (not even the GF).

 

Not excited at all re this season, (although I did love us beating Carlton),  everything appears to be stage managed, like WWE,  but at least the majority of people know WWE is staged managed.

24

I feel the same way. My reason are:

 

 - Essendon is playing flat, uninspiring footy. If they're up and about, so am I.

 

 - Style of the game now across the board just isn't very attractive. It's all about defence and run, run, run.

 

 - The ultra-professional world of AFL has seemingly removed the fun from the game. Go down to your local footy and it's still there.

 

 - Over saturation of the game in the media. 

 

 - Everything is expensive, especially when the product on offer (be it the food, mid strength beer, the game) isn't very appealing

 

 - The crap all Essendon supporters have had to put up with over the last 15 months has definitely taken it's toll.

 

However, everything I've just listed wouldn't matter one single bit if Essendon started winning with the style and passion like they showed up to R17 last year.

25

When we lost to stkilda, instead of throwing a massive hissy fit (kick stuff over, punch walls, swear a lot etc) I just sat there laughing maniacally. I knew something was up at that point.

But then again, when Chappy put through that goal with 90 seconds left against the hawks, I was pretty ■■■■■■ engaged.

It’s two things for me:

  • we weren’t supposed to be sh*t this year, and it’s hard to accept.
  • I can’t mentally do the sorry saga again. And the more it’s in the news, the more I detach myself from the game.
26

I still love Essendon but am a bit "meh" about football in general.
And honestly I blame it all on the ASADA stuff and being so disillusioned with the footy media and the AFL management
I have Foxtel and used to watch every episode of AFL360 and On the couch as well as Footy Classified and various other football talk shows. I also used to listen to footy talk on the radio. I used to watch all but a couple of games each week - even so far as watching 1 game on a Saturday night and recording the other game and watching it straight after. Now I only see snippets of the football talk shows and don't really bother with the radio. I watch our games and maybe 1 or 2 other games per weekend.
I used to love footy tipping. It's a bit ho-hum this year.
Even SuperCoach has lost its shine this year.
I hardly talk to my mates about footy stuff these day and there is definitely less footy chat at work.

Exactly, same here. I justify Foxtel spend because of football shows/games.

 

I bought a reserved seat next to me this year for my son (he's only 3).

 

I was so looking forward to the bomber indoctrination process.

 

 

 

I'm so disillusioned with the ASADA thing/our complete lack of on field energy/ AFL rule amendments   that I am not even going to games myself and will probably not join at all next year......

 

I joke alot in several threads, but that's to cover the heartache.

27

Wow, the mood is really down here!

 

I love the footy, ie, US, but hate the media and their coverage of it.

 

I don't let that spoil the Bombers.

28

Exhausted by the saga and the way we're playing at the moment. Just waiting for the corner to be turned, but every week since St.Kilda, we seem to dish up the same slop. We're a better team than the way we're playing. At least we've chalked up a couple of wins that very well should have been losses. Keeps us in touch. 

29

I still love Essendon but am a bit "meh" about football in general.
And honestly I blame it all on the ASADA stuff and being so disillusioned with the footy media and the AFL management
I have Foxtel and used to watch every episode of AFL360 and On the couch as well as Footy Classified and various other football talk shows. I also used to listen to footy talk on the radio. I used to watch all but a couple of games each week - even so far as watching 1 game on a Saturday night and recording the other game and watching it straight after. Now I only see snippets of the football talk shows and don't really bother with the radio. I watch our games and maybe 1 or 2 other games per weekend.
I used to love footy tipping. It's a bit ho-hum this year.
Even SuperCoach has lost its shine this year.
I hardly talk to my mates about footy stuff these day and there is definitely less footy chat at work.

Yep, pretty much nailed my thoughts.

 

Still love playing footy on Saturday mornings, but nowhere near as enthused about following the professional game

30

I am much more apathetic about this season than any season before.

 

I have in the past watched at least half the games each week but football this year is appalling to watch.  Ignoring Essendon games (as the criteria for enjoyment is different), the only games which I managed to watch to the final siren were the Geelong v Hawthorn and Sydney v Hawthorn games.

 

Media coverage is beyond saturation point - it's a parade of talking heads talking endlessly about so-called "issues", which are at best inconsequential and at worst malicious.  As a result, all we hear each week is about the latest "crisis" ("x team lost their last game!") or some other manufactured "narratives" to try and convince people to watch or go to the games.  The hyperbole and lack of perspective is beyond tedious.

 

The fact that the AFL have tried their best to schedule football matches five days a week compounds the problem.  I used to like that I had a choice of games to watch at 2pm on Sat and Sun and 7.30pm on Saturday night.  Now matches are played any time between 12 until 11 pm on the weekends.  I have tuned out.  It's too much effort (especially given how bad the games are now).

 

From an Essendon point of view, it is hard to get excited given how badly the team are playing at the moment.  With our current form (which may turn around) we are only making up the numbers.  Combine this with our draft penalties and there is nothing to look forward to in respect of our year unless our form picks up sufficiently to have us in the mix.

31

Remember that even though the sorry saga was draining, we were still awesomely winning games of football. Bomberblitz site traffic year over year supports the idea that fans are less engaged this year than last. Here's the last 30 days 2013 vs 2014.

 

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32

My levels of excitement are proportionally tied to how excitedly the team plays.


So now we know who to blame...
33

And yeah, add me to the list of people saying “there’s a competition outside us? and there are footy shows apart from the (few free-to-air) games?” since last year.

The AFL has screwed the pooch on a generational scale here.

34

If Kurt Aylett is happy…So am I!

35

Media coverage is beyond saturation point - it's a parade of talking heads talking endlessly about so-called "issues", which are at best inconsequential and at worst malicious.  As a result, all we hear each week is about the latest "crisis" ("x team lost their last game!") or some other manufactured "narratives" to try and convince people to watch or go to the games.  The hyperbole and lack of perspective is beyond tedious.

+1

 

Was it on Blitz I read about the Craig Hutchinson Management Theory?

36

It's just the waiting, waiting, waiting for resolution of the supplements saga that's killing the game for me. It's got the the point that I don't care what the outcome is, I just want there to be one so that we can deal with it and set about recovering, however long that takes. I go every week in Melbourne but just think that it really doesn't matter if we win or not as we don't even know if we will have a team to follow later on. It's depressing and the players can't be blamed for not playing well. Who can blame them? ■■■■■■ hell ASADA, put us out of our misery! 

37

To be blunt, it’s been a disappointing stretch for well over a decade, since 2002 The club has one of the worst records in the league for not making finals in that time period along with Richmond. That compounded with the dark days since last year and you wouldn’t blame any fan for feeling very lost and confused.

The new facilities and a team with potential gives the fans some hope.

38

It seems to be a common theme - media saturation.

 

Someone also mentioned cricket. I used to watch EVERY game the Aussies played. Any time of the year I could tell you where they were touring, who was in or out of the side etc. I would drag the Mrs to the pub late on a Sunday night to watch us play against/in India on Foxtel. Then the T20 matches started, and I just couldn't keep up. There were multiple competitions happening at once, it was too hard to keep track of the 200 new players and teams on the radar. Each match/innings was no longer special, and I stopped even following the test team.

 

I find footy has gone the same way, but moreso. Events like the World Cup (soccer) and Olympics have what are known as "trade embargoes" or "advertising bans" in the lead up, say a week out, which prevent people (e.g. sponsors) from using their athletes or the event to market products, because they don't want their audiences to be sick of it before it's even started. They want consumers to be HUNGRY.

 

There's just too much footy, all the time, and I'm full. I can't watch it all, especially the TV shows - it offends me too much. And because I don't know what's going on, I can't keep track, and I don't feel a part of it, so I lose interest. All those shows like AFL360 and Footy Classified are absolute rubbish, but people take that crap as gospel.

 

They are so manufactured it's insulting, at least the Footy Show is self aware (or should be) and doesn't take itself too seriously (kids probably don't realise though). It's basically a parody that makes fun of the industry, they get caught out every week not being able to keep a straight face. Talk back is worse.

 

I honestly feel that if the AFL want the supporters to be 'hungry' again for footy, they need to try and concentrate it on the weekends so people get a break. The never ending 7 days a week footy marathon is just exhausting.

39

well said wannabe.

40

Thanks very much all of you for your input. I feel better in a way that I am not alone. That it's not something dwindling from within me, rather the product is less attractive to watch and in addition the things external to the 120 mins of footy (media, asada etc) are off putting too.

A turn in form would lift all our spirits- temporarily perhaps, if the game itself continues tracking in the wrong direction- so let's hope for the best this friday night hey.